brought back to sober reality

[fmoore200]

I have to say that most of my posts here on TB are very self centered, and I guess that's what any internet forum is based on, but today I received some news that really brought me out of my shallow, ego driven, 'me first,' existence. It has brought me here to share something with my fellow TBers that, for me, is bigger than anything I have ever posted. I apologize in advance for the long post.

I found out today that my father in law has prostate cancer. At his age they probably won't perform surgery, and depending on how advanced it is (we find out tomorrow) he may not have long to live.

He was a great musician, but a greater man. A man much greater than me, and for the relatively short time I have known him he has been a tremendous inspiration to me. I would like to share a few things about his life to give perspective on a a life that has been so well lived.

Born in Haiti in the 1930's, his family was upper middle class. He worked at a car dealership that his mother owned when he was a teenager, but during a political uprising his father was killed. Fearing for his safety, his mother sent him to Queens to live with his aunt.

After finishing high school he served in the army as a French translator in Vietnam. He came back and got a degree in architecture. All this time he was a steady working trumpet player and a member of the musician's union in NY. He played with some legendary salsa artists including Celia Cruz and Hector Lavoe.

He worked on the group that designed the elevators in the world trade center and later served as conservationista in the Puerto Rican government, helping to preserve some of the country's historical sites.

[Thor]

Sounds like he had a rich and interesting life. Make notes.

I'd love to hear about his Vietnam experiences, just because I am a bit of an jackleg amateur military historian and let's face it, history has a way of being revised as time goes on, so first hand accounts always have great value.

My best wishes for a good outcome, prostate cancer is very treatable, though each case varies.

Thanks for putting things in perspective. We all need that sometime.

[fmoore200]

What I always found interesting is that he wasn't drafted. All you ever hear about Vietnam was about the draft and how unfair it was, but here was this kid, not even from the US, volunteering for the armed service.

When I asked him why he joined the military what he told me spoke to his character. He said he felt a sense of debt to this country. He was on the brink of possibly being killed in his home country and, without a green card, he was granted asylum. He felt the least he could do was serve in the military.

[Thor]

You are right, that is the pervasive media story, but in reality many went voluntarily for their own reasons. That was never the 'Big Story'. All the more reason to capture his stories while possible as they reflect a whole other side of the Vietnam Conflict.

Break out the digital recorder and get him to tell you his life story, it sounds fascinating.